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The Ordning
The Ordning is the divinely ordained social structure to which all giants adhered, dating back to the before even the ancient giant empire of Forzammar. Its rules, as decreed by the chief giant deity, Annam All-Father, create a structure similar to a class-based society, but was much more specific, assigning a social rank to each individual. Rules and Beliefs Rankings Each type of giant used a different combination of skills or qualities to determine their rank in the Ordning. Giants believed excelling in these skills to be the purpose of their lives. Annam All-Father, creator of giants, was seen as the ultimate in each of these skills. In all cases, advancement was made by challenging a superior, but different types of giants used different systems and restrictions upon advancement. It was considered an evil (maug) act to show disrespect to a superior giant. This could be mocking, betrayal, disobedience, or a number of other behaviors The ordning applies to individual tribes, but it was an insult to treat a higher-ranked giant from another tribe as an inferior. Between different types of giant, there was a totally separate system, and even the lowest ranked giant of one type was superior to the highest ranked giant of an inferior type, but importantly, it was not considered evil to betray a giant of another type, merely rude. The Titans, Annam's divine sons, are the highest ranked individuals in the Ordning, followed by storm giants, cloud giants, fire giants, frost giants, stone giants, earth giants, and finally giant kin, such as ogres and goliaths. Maat and Maug Strict adherents to the Ordning do not believe in the concepts of good and evil as most other races understand them. Instead, they subscribe to the concepts of maat and maug. Actions which are maat are in accordance to the ordning of an individual giant, such as hill giants following their ordning by eating constantly. Maug actions go against a giant's ordning, such as a frost giant sneaking about to surprise an enemy. Generally speaking, giants do not hold beings not part of their own ordning to the requirements that it demands, but will generally be appreciative of those who seem to follow it. For example, fire giants are known to respect skilled blacksmiths, whilst frost giants admire humans who display prowess when hunting wild animals. The Mark of Maug On certain occasions, if a giant has been deviating substantially from the tenets of their ordning, its fellows will banish it from their home, and carve into its flesh the Mark of Maug. The mark signifies that a giant is a repulsive outcast, unworthy of being called a true giant, and will therefore be spurned and ostracized by other giants no matter where it goes. Ordning of Omens The Ordning of Omens is adhered to by the storm giants. Each storm giant knows its status in the ordning by the signals the universe sends them. Omens might be seen in the wheeling flight of a flock of birds, the patterns in sand left by a receding tide, the shapes of clouds, or any number of other natural phenomena. Storm giants that receive the greatest number of such messages generally rank highest, but the significance of individual signs can also affect one's status. On the occasions when storm giants meet, omens and signs accompany each individual, making it plain to all present who ranks where. Arguments about ranking within the ordning are rare, but all the giants in the group studiously examine every sign for evidence that one among them might be the greatest yet, since the revelation of that fact would herald Annam's return. Ordning of Extravagance The Ordning of Extravagance is adhered to by cloud giants. A cloud giant's position within the ordning doesn't depend on talent or skill. It depends on wealth. The more treasure a cloud giant possesses, the higher its standing. It's as simple as that. Almost. Ownership is one thing, but wealth that's kept locked away means little. To fully contribute to one's status, wealth must be displayed, and the more ostentatious the display, the better. In a cloud giant family's home, extravagance is omnipresent. One might boast windows framed in gold leaf, rare perfume stored in vials of crystal with silver lids, or a scene in the sky depicted in a tapestry composed entirely of pearls. Another way for a family to demonstrate its wealth is by bestowing lavish gifts on other families. (A gift from one family member to another doesn't prove anything about the family's largesse.) No cloud giant truly believes that it's better to give than to receive; a family does so only with an eye toward how the giving can elevate its status. Memnor and his trickery play a role in this "game." The very best gift (from the giver's perspective) is one that everyone believes to be far more valuable than it truly is. Only the giver and the receiver will ever know a gift's true value, and neither of them would ever reveal that a gift is worth less than it appears to be, because to do so would reduce the status of both. Ordning of Craftwork The Ordning of Crafwork is followed by fire giants, the greatest smiths, architects, and technicians among giantkind. The iron-lined halls of a fire giant stronghold, deep inside a mountain or a volcano, support the unimaginable weight of the stone above them and enable the giants to harness the heat of rivers of magma to power their forges. A fire giant's prowess in the occupations of crafting determines its place in the ordning. Although fire giants put stock in combat skill, they recognize that success in battle or on the hunt derives mainly from the quality of one's weapons and armor, and those that can fashion the finest gear enjoy the highest status in the clan. Master artisans, architects, and engineers select the best disciples to pass their knowledge on to, along with their standing. Often pupils are children or siblings of their teachers, but that's not always so. Leaders are chosen by general recognition from among the best crafters in the clan. Ordning of Might The frost giants are followers of the Ordning of Might. Position within the frost giant ordning is determined by sheer, brute strength. Frost giants know that those that use cunning, agility, and magic are dangerous foes and can sometimes overcome pure strength, but never in a straightforward, fair manner; enemies that act that way are maug, and strength alone is maat. Doubt or disagreement between frost giants over which is strongest is settled by a trial of strength. Such a contest typically involves wrestling but can also be a rock-throwing competition, a hunt, or one-on-one combat. To show proof of their superiority, frost giants keep and display trophies of their victims. Mammoth tusks, griffon beaks, and manticore tails adorn the walls of frost giant lairs. Formidable humanoid enemies are memorialized in trophies, either through displayal of their skulls or other body parts, or by keeping a weapon they used. Ordning of Artistry The Ordning of Artistry is held to by the stone giants. Among stone giants, mastery of an art ranks as the greatest virtue, and among all the arts, stone carving is held in highest regard. Most stone giants spend their lives in unending pursuit of the perfect artistic creation. Young stone giants practice tirelessly, hoping to prove themselves worthy of assisting the tribe's best carvers. A stone giant master carver might devote years to finding the best stone before beginning a great work. The best carvers are honored as the leaders and shamans of the tribe, and their hands are seen as holy-literally becoming the hands of Skoraeus Stonebones as they work. Ordning of Gluttony The repulsive earth giants are the followers of the Ordning of Gluttony. Earth giants are the weakest of the true giants. They have the shortest stature, the smallest brains, and the least ambition. The only area in which they excel is girth. Since eating is the only thing earth giants care about, a tribe is always led by its fattest, heaviest member- the most successful and thus the most admired one in the group. The qualities that other creatures expect or demand of their leaders- such as intellect, decision-making ability, and personal magnetism- have no importance to earth giants. They are neither recognized nor rewarded, except to the extent that an earth giant with slightly above average smarts might use trickery or intimidation to grab more food than its neighbors. Pantheon Annam All-Father Stronmaeus Memnor Surtur Thrym Skoraeus Stonebones Grolantor Cosmology Worship Mythology Category:Religions